with the weird-sisters, in his castle, his interview with his wife, the murder of Duncan, his coronation, and his death, years after. He could only have shown but one phase of Macbeth's character, and one action during the day. This would have borne no more relation to the true Macbeth, than does the classic drama of antiquity bear to the real life of the world, in which storms and calms, clouds and sunshine, misery and happiness are seen commingling together.

THE PERIOD OF SHAKSPERE.-It was a remarkable period, that, in which the poet Shakspere was born; remarkable not only with regard to our own country, but also to the other nations of Europe. The exigencies of the time required great men, and they came in all their varied phases, adding strength to the mentality of their own age and force to the character of the nation to which they belonged. The external and internal circumstances of our nation at this time, were of an extraordinary character, and the quality of the men, both mentally and physically, who enacted their parts, was fully commensurate with the requirements of the age. During the fifty-two years that Shakspere moved and had his being upon this earth, the number of great men in all walks of literature, in the arts and in the scientific world was truly astonishing. Such a combination of talent, such an array of genius was never before witnessed, nor can any other fifty-two years' of the world's history hardly furnish forth a parallel. No period of our own history, either preceding or following this time, can

present such a glorious array of great and wise men, whose works redound to the honour of our native land; for leaving out the lesser lights which flourished during those days, have we not Bacon for our philosopher; Burleigh for our statesman; Shakspere and Spenser for our poets; Drake, Frobisher, Davis, Howard and Grenville, for our admirals; Gresham for our merchant; Andrews, Hall, and Hooper, for our theologians; and Knolles, Speed and Stow, for our historians.

On the continent, among painters who have achieved a world wide reputation, there existed coeval with Shakspere, Titian, the master of colour; Annibal Carracci, he who painted the Three Maries; Rembrandt the painter of contrast, of deep shadows and strong lights; Cuyp, whose delightful landscapes with drowsy cattle are the pride of fenny Holland; Claude, the ethereal, the limner of sunlight and beauty; Salvator Rosa, he of the wild and terrible, whose dark caves and darker men are so full of picturesque beauty; Zurbani Henera, the master of the great Velasquez, and others whose works remain memorials of their love of truth and beauty. To particularise the great painters who came into the world and went out of it, and others who flourished during the Shaksperean period, would be a task of some length; sufficient to mention the names of Teniers, the elder, Tintoretto, Paul Veronese, Nicolas Poussin, Spagnoletto, Vandyke, Snyders, Reni Guido, and Abraham Bloemart.

In the world of astronomy we have a trinity of giants in the names of Tycho Brahe, Kepler and Galileo Galilei. Descartes, the eminent philosopher, whose works created a revolution in the world of thought, flourished during this period. Tasso, the poet,-he,

whose immortal song of Jerusalem Delivered, has filled the world with delight, and Montaigne, the great essayist, were contemporary; so was Rizzio, Camoens, the Portugese poet, author of the Lysiad, Lope de Vega, the prolific dramatist of Spain, and Calderon, the eminent Spanish poet, of whom Schlegel says, "a, poet, if ever man deserved that name," was co-existent with the "sweet swan of Avon."

In directing our attention to this period, whether we confine our view to our own country or extend it to the continent of Europe, we cannot fail to perceive its greatness. The immense activity which was displayed in the mental world, the rude shocks which existing notions received, the upheaving of the religious element, and the planting and culture of the right of private judgment in those days, presents points of such a forcible character, that they will be remembered "to the last syllable of recorded time." The state of English society during this period, was of a very peculiar nature, and Shakspere, as evidenced by his works, was thoroughly acquainted with and understood the age, which was essentially dramatic. "In set speeches, in conversation, in grave state papers, the mythical and the legendary were mixed up with the historical and the present, as if all were alike real, and all intimately blended with one another. The vivid imaginations of men supplied the connecting links and brought the picture home to the mind, instead of setting it off at greater distance, as is the tendency of modern criticism to do. The common ground of all was the supposed humanity of all; varying, indeed, according to time, climate, circumstances, but in all essentials one

and the same with themselves and those around them."* Filled with a love of humanity, wherever found, Shakspere failed not to respect the popular will, and his great knowledge and foresight taught him that this was a gradually extending power. Though not wholly despising the royal prerogative, he felt, and he wrote what he felt, that it must gradually decline before the growth of popular opinion.

The power of feudalism all but expired with our great civil wars, which resulted in the throne of England being occupied by the House of Tudor, under whose supremacy, the English character became wholly freed from the evil consequences of feudal influence and the papal authority. The spirit of enterprise, one of the strong characteristics of the English nation, developed itself with marvellous rapidity. The industrial power of the English people began to be nurtured and soon made itself felt and acknowledged. The outward power of the nation gradually expanded and many of the internal obstacles to trade and commerce were removed.

Our allegiance to Rome which had been partially thrown off in the reign of the sensual Henry VIII., was not completed till the reign of his daughter Elizabeth: nor was the English power consolidated till the Spanish nation under the direction of its fanatical and murderous sovereign, Philip, in its religious zeal and bigotted fury, thought to conquer this isle and restore it to the dominancy of the papal Pontiff. This inconsiderate act awoke the energies of the English people; brought into operation the latent power of

*The Quarterly Review, No. 261, p. 41.

the nation, and afforded the sublime spectacle of a whole people rising to do battle for their hearths, their homes, their country, and their creed. Such an instance was not lost sight of by our bard, for proudly he sings of this

"Eden, of this demi-paradise,

This precious stone set in the silver sea ;"

and, exulting in the results produced by English valour and English skill upon the so-called invincible armada of Spain, exclaims :

"Come the three corners of the world in arms,

And we shall shock them. Nought shall make us rue,
If England to itself do rest but true.” *

* King John, Act v. s. 7.

J. WEBB, PRINTER, CAMBRIDGE.